Shiftable frame for pivotable outer-jaw pipe wrench



Sept. 27, 1955 .1. J. STRUCKLE 2,718,305

SHIFTABLE FRAME FOR PIVOTABLE OUTER-JAW PIPE WRENCH Filed D80. 19, 1952 icy 7+" m 2o m m 9 m W" MW 28 M 1 E 4 31M I lg SePhJSt/ ZZ Z /Z [3)?35 z g WU TTORNEYS United States Patent SHIFTABLE FRAME FOR PIVOTABLE oUTER-JAW j PIPE WRENCH Joseph]; Struckle, Cleveland, Ohio Application December 19, 1952, Serial No. 326,839

" 1 clam. c1. 81--106) This invention relates to pipe wrenches and more particularly to a self-tightening Wrench, the jaws of which are forced into gripping engagement with a pipe work piece by applying turning pressure to the wrench handle.

It .is among the objects of .the invention to provide an'improived. pipe wrench having relatively movable parts for varying the distance between the jaws of the wrench and means positively locking the relatively movable parts in selected positions of adjustment, so that the wrench will not get out of adjustment during use or when laid down or picked up, which grips a workpiece with a pressure proportional to the work turning force applied to the wrench handle, but is constructed to limit the work gripping pressure to a value at which the work piece will not be crushed or damaged; which is adjustable to work pieces over a wide range of work piece diameter; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manu facture, easy to use, and positive and effective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe wrench illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the wrench illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is .a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, but shows the detent camming pin in its raised position; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

With continued reference to the drawing, the wrench comprises a frame, generally indicated at 10, in the form of a metallic block of substantially rectangular shape in cross section and having spaced apart and substantially parallel bores 11 and 12 extending longitudinally therethrough to provide a longitudinally extending partition wall 9. An elongated handle shank extends slidably through one of the bores or bore 11 and has serrations 16 along an edge thereof which serrations confront said one edge and communicate with the bore 11. The partition wall 9 has a recess 13 therein which recess confronts said edge of the handle shank 15 carrying the serrations 16 and also communicates with the bore 11.

A latch dog 21 is slidably mounted in the recess 13 of the partition wall 9, the latch dog having at its mid-length location a pin 22, the purpose of which will be subsequently described. The latch 21 has serrations 23 on -a side thereof which confronts the serrations 16 on the handle shank 15 and also having on an opposite side thereof a cam surface including dowel and lobe portions 24 and 25 respectively.

The side wall of the frame 10 along its juncture with the partition wall 9 has a longitudinally extending slot 27 which communicates with the recess 13 adjacent the cam surface of the latch dog 21. A headed pin 29 extends transversely through the slot 27 and into the recess 13 so as to contact the cam surface of the latch dog 21,

2,718,805 Patented Sept.-27, 1955 the pin being shiftable transversely of its longitudinal axis along the slot 27 and hence along the cam surface of the latch dog 21, and being also effective when in contact with the lobe portion 25 of the latch dog cam surface to hold the latch dog in engagement with the handle shank so that-the serrations 23 on the latch dog 21 engage-in the serrations 16 on the handle shank 15 and positively hold the frame 10 against longitudinal movement relative to the handle shank 15.

A leaf spring 29' is anchored to the frame 10 and biases-the latch dog 21 against the headed pin 29. Specifically, the leaf spring 29' extends across the recess 13 formed in the partition wall 9 and is biased at its intermediate portion against the-pin 22, the free ends of the leaf spring sliding in the adjacent portions of a groove 29" formed in the partition wall 9, so that the leaf spring.

from the handle shank 15 whenever the headed pin 29.

contacts the dowel portion 24 of the cam surface of the shank 15.

A jaw 17 is on one end of the shank 15 and on the other end of the shank 15 is a handle 19. An outer jaw shank 30 is pivotally mounted at one end in the other of the bores or bore 12 by means of the pivot pin 31 and extends from the bore 12 past the jaw 17 on the shank 15. A jaw formation 32 having serrations 33 is on the end of the outer jaw shank 30 which is disposed outwardly of the bore 12 and is opposed to the jaw 17 of the handle shank 15. Spring means or compression spring 34 is carried by the partition wall 9 and acts against the outer jaw shank 30 to resiliently urge the outer jaw to work-gripping position.

With this arrangement, the jaw 32 may be moved backwardly, so that the jaws can be placed at respectively opposite sides of a work piece and the spring 34, urging the jaw 32 forwardly, will maintain the wrench in position on the work piece until the wrench is manually released from the work piece. When the pipe turning pressure is applied to the handle 19 of the wrench, the jaw 32 will be moved forwardly relative to the jaw 17 and the gripping pressure of the wrench on the work piece will be increased until the shank 30 contacts the adjacent end of the jaw 17 at which point the pressure will be limited, so that the gripping pressure of the wrench will not be sufiicient, at any time, to damage or crush a tubular work piece gripped by the wrench.

Most wrenches now in use have screw thread formations on the shank which is slidably adjustable relative to the wrench frame, and a nut disposed in an aperture in the frame and rotatable about the movable shank to adjust the wrench for different work piece diameters. Such wrenches nearly always get out of adjustment when laid down and picked up again, so that such a wrench has to be readjusted each time it is applied to a work piece. One of the important advantages of the wrench of the present invention is that once the movable shank 15 has been locked in a selected position of adjustment relative to the wrench frame, it will remain in this adjusted position until manually changed and the wrench will not be accidentally moved out of adjustment during use.

The invention may be embodied 'in other specific forms without departing from the function or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

3 What is claimed is:-

- A pipe wrench comprising a frame of generally ree-- tangular shape in cross section and having substantially parallel bores extending longitudinally therethrough to. provide alongitudi'nally' extending partition wall, an elongated" handle: shank extending sl'idabl'y through one of said bores and having serrations along an edge thereof confronting said partition wall, said partition wall having a recess" therein confronting" said edge and communicating with said one bore, a l'atch: dog slidablym'ount'e'd' in said. recess; said l'at'ch do'g'lraving serrations on a side thereof confronting said shank and having a cam surface on an opposite side thereof, said camsurface including dowel and lobe porti'ons,. a side wall of said frame. along its juncture with; said partition Walt having a longitudinally. extending sl'ot communicating, with said recess adjacent said cam surface of said latch dog, a he'ad'ed pin extending transversely through said slot and into said recess so asto contact said cam' surface,. said pin. being shiftable.

engage in the serrations on said shank and positively holdsaid frame against longitudinal movement relative" to said shank, a leaf spring "anchored to said frame and biasing said latch dog against said pin, said leaf spring being effective to release said latch dog from said shank whenever said pin contacts the dowel portion of said cam surface, a jaw on one endof said shank and an elongated handle on an opposite end', an outer jaw shank pivotally mounted: at one endin said other bore and eXtendingfiOm: said other bore past the jawon said handle shank, a jaw formation on the end. of said outer jaw shank disposed outwardly of said other bore and opposed to the jaw on said handle shank, and" spring, means: carried: by said partition Wall and acting against said outer jaw shank to resiliently urge said' outer jaw to work gripping position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 355,444 Farmer Jam. 4, 188T 904,485? J'ohnson: Nova. 17} 1908' 9513849 Sipos a Man 1 5,. 1910 1i,1a79;5'74= Stephens Apr; 18:,- 1 91.6- 

